Opinion and Commentary
Lauengco: The surging seas are coming for all of us
August 28, 2024, 3:35 pm
“Life on earth first emerged from the sea. As sea level rises, we find ourselves facing the prospect that once again we may quite literally become ocean”. - John Luther Adams During the Pacific Islands Forum held on Tuesday in Tonga, United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres… Read More
Zaldarriaga: Rail networks and efficiency
August 27, 2024, 1:12 pm
During his third State of the Nation Address last month, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. said the Philippines is in the midst of a “railway renaissance” with the different ongoing mass transit projects expected to improve the country’s interconnectivity. Among these ongoing projects are… Read More
Samonte: The unsung Battle of Pasong Tamo in Novaliches in August 1896
August 26, 2024, 4:01 pm
As the nation was celebrating the annual National Heroes Day on Monday, my mind was reminiscing about the first heroes produced by the unsung Battle of Pasong Tamo in the former town of Novaliches, now divided between Quezon City and Caloocan City in Metro Manila, a century and 28 years ago.… Read More
Lu: Impact of high energy costs on the economy
August 26, 2024, 1:57 pm
The country is recognized for its rich cultural heritage and its rapidly growing economy. However, we face a significant challenge that threatens our progress: the high cost of electricity. This issue affects businesses, goods production and consumers alike, creating a ripple effect throughout the… Read More
Lauengco: Senior Citizens Day – a time to look at issues, concerns
August 21, 2024, 1:07 pm
“A society that does not value its older people denies its roots and endangers its future.” – Nelson Mandela August 21 is World Senior Citizen’s Day. Today, we honor, celebrate and appreciate the senior citizens in our society for their services, contributions and accomplishments. We also… Read More
Zaldarriaga: Musings in New York
August 20, 2024, 8:00 pm
During my trip here in New York, I picked up new and valuable lessons to take home with me. While the American city still has the same old charm, it cannot be denied that New York has become drastically advanced in many aspects over other cities, including in the field of energy. As someone who… Read More
Lauengco: The copypasta conundrum
August 14, 2024, 2:32 pm
“There is a danger of the internet becoming loud and ugly… with a thousand voices screaming for attention …” – Matt Drudge Recently, a veteran actor filed a cybercrime case against a content creator who posted a fabricated story about him. In the said post, the content creator apparently… Read More
Zaldarriaga: Fighting rabies
August 13, 2024, 10:40 am
While largely preventable, rabies remains one of the deadliest and biggest threats to the health of Filipinos — many of whom ironically are pet owners. Each year, hundreds if not thousands of Filipinos are put at risk because of rabies. At the start of 2024 alone, the Department of Health (DOH)… Read More
Lu: Safeguard PH’s birth registration system
August 12, 2024, 10:24 am
I am quite shocked that a remote municipality in Davao del Sur was able to issue 1,501 birth certificates to foreigners from 2016 to 2023. This is only the beginning, as local officials and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) are expanding their investigation to encompass earlier years.… Read More
Lauengco: There’s gold in them thar kids! Olympic takeaways
August 7, 2024, 3:57 pm
“Start early to reach far”- Poetica de insanire There is a popular video going around of a young Carlos Yulo, fondly called ‘Caloy’ where he shared his goal to earn a medal for the country. It took several years of practice and heartbreaks before Caloy achieved his dream and earned two… Read More
Zaldarriaga: Energy security
August 6, 2024, 11:16 am
The Taguig Regional Trial Court recently extended the temporary restraining order (TRO) that halted the competitive selection process (CSP) or bidding for 1,000 MW of needed power supply of distribution utility Meralco—a move that will ultimately result in a negative domino impact on the… Read More
Lu: The need to prepare for La Niña
August 5, 2024, 10:00 am
When Typhoon Carina inundated Metro Manila and nearby provinces with floods, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. was utterly dismayed. Social media was abuzz with memes suggesting that nature was fact-checking the President after he stated during his State of the Nation Address (SONA) that over… Read More
Lu: Addressing challenges for public school teachers
August 2, 2024, 4:15 pm
Warm applause greeted President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s declaration in his State of the Nation Address (SONA) that the government "will accelerate the career growth of teachers." No public school teacher will retire with a mere Teacher I position, the President said. President Marcos Jr.… Read More
Zaldarriaga: Flood control
August 1, 2024, 10:52 am
Typhoon Carina (international name Gaemi) put much of Metro Manila underwater after heavy rains lashed across the country due to enhanced southwest monsoon. Reports say that within a 24-hour period, 458 mm of rain were dumped in the country’s capital city and surrounding areas, which effectively… Read More
Lauengco: School openings and teachers
July 31, 2024, 2:19 pm
“A good teacher is like a candle – it consumes itself to light the way for others.” – Mustafa Kemal Ataturk This week, most schools across the country opened their doors to a total of roughly 21 million students. Inevitably, the start of a new school year brought many challenges for school… Read More
Delos Reyes: WHAT THE HECTARE!
July 30, 2024, 10:00 am
In a passing conversation in Masbate, years back, I was told that a head of cattle-- fetched a live-weight price of PHP30,000 then-- is allocated a hectare of pasture to graze on as that area replenishes its growth of grass every 40 days or so. Minimum hectarage that Masbate cattle raisers have is… Read More
Lu: The urgent need for electoral reforms in PH
July 26, 2024, 9:54 am
The midterm elections are just around the corner. Candidates for the midterm elections will file their certificates of candidacy (COC) for next year's polls from Oct. 1 to 8. The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has intensified its voter registration efforts, targeting three million new… Read More
Lauengco: “Sir” - Thoughts on the issue
July 25, 2024, 9:20 am
“Contrary to your beliefs, you cannot force your opinion on others.” – Anonymous For the past few days, social media has been abuzz with comments, posts, and memes about a recent incident in Cebu where a customer reacted badly to being called “sir.” Apparently, the customer, who is also… Read More
Zaldarriaga: Asserting sovereignty
July 23, 2024, 11:22 am
During his third State of the Nation Address (SONA), President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. received a standing ovation from members of Congress after a compelling statement on the contentious issue of the West Philippine Sea. In his words, the President said, “The Philippines cannot yield, the… Read More
Lu: Defense pact amid rising West PH Sea tensions
July 18, 2024, 3:03 pm
On July 8, 2024, Japan and the Philippines signed a Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA), allowing the deployment of Japanese forces for joint drills in the Philippines. Similarly, the agreement allows Filipino forces to enter Japan for joint combat training. The agreement will take effect after… Read More
